Blooms and Abodes for Bees

I took a chance on Saturday morning weather and had purchased a ticket to Burnside Farms for the sunflowers. I was under the impression that because tickets needed to be purchased before arriving that numbers would be curtailed due to the pandemic. I got there early, there was already quite a queue, but thankfully everyone was wearing a mask. I had bought my ticket a couple of days before and was amazed to get messages from friends who were wondering if I'd be posting any sunflower photos this year. So today I was shooting on demand!

 The sunflowers looked amazing but I was initially a little disappointed because they barely came up to my shoulders. The last time I photographed Burnside sunflowers was six years ago when they were in their original location in Haymarket. I'd been dazzled by the number of varieties, colors I'd never seen before on a sunflower, and most had towered above me. Today's flowers were all about 4.5ft high but it was hard to be sad looking at their bright sunny faces and I was smiling as I walked among them, careful to keep plenty of distance between me and other folk.

Apart from my feet being soaked with five minutes, due to the heavy storms we'd been having during the past week, I was amazed at how many buzzy critters were present. The insect world had a huge workforce out here this morning and the air was alive with their chatter and wing vibrations. Mason bees, sweat bees, leaf cutter bees, ladybirds, moths and butterflies were all fluttering, hovering and speeding above and around me. I was initially paranoid because I'd left my insect repellent wipes in the car and had no protection but I was astounded to realize that I wasn't being bothered by mosquitoes. I saw none. so I was joyous at having an opportunity to enjoy this field without constantly swatting, scratching or rubbing. The intense heat felt like I was melting, dripping onto my camera as I bent down, yet this didn't really worry me, nor my damp feet. I was acutely aware of being free of these pests and was savoring every second.

I've always loved the backs of sunflowers, the petals and leaves working together to create a beautiful pattern, the fuzzy, soft white hairs on the stalks and leaves. I find these flowers attractive back and front.

Just as I felt I was getting into my niche I became aware at how the field was filling up with people, and none of them were wearing masks. They'd worn them to get in and then removed them immediately. It was time to go. A shame, since my ticket had cost $12, but I didn't want to take any chances. I skirted along the edge of the blooms and made my way back to the car.

From Nokesville, I then headed to Marshall, where the Master Gardeners were putting on a workshop about native bees. Since I arrived early I was able to spend some time walking around their gorgeous garden, where everything was flourishing and in full bloom, insects buzzing back and forth, busy pollinating. This garden always makes me happy, it's a little paradise and an example of what I'm striving to achieve at The Blue House. I walked about, feeling very pleased that I actually already had a lot of the plants here back at home, but I desperately need more to replace the lawn, and I'm not very patient since I have a vision in my mind of how I want my garden transformed, and I want it yesterday.

I was delighted to see a couple of hummingbird moths flitting among the bee balm. It was here a few years ago that I saw my first one of these, hardly able to believe my eyes as I watched this amazing creature, unlike anything I'd ever seen. I slowly put out my hand and felt its wings beating the air as it hovered above the flowers. Even the huge bumble bees were relaxed in the heat and let me stroke their soft fuzzy backs.

We were called over to sit around a table under some shady trees. Everyone had brought their own chairs, were well spaced apart and all were wearing face masks; a small group of about 20. How civilized! Fauquier Master Gardener Rich Umbel was teaching us about native bees. Although I'd attended a previous workshop on hive bees, I have always preferred to support the 'local' bees, hence me wanting to create a pollinator garden. There are currently 14 species in Virginia, most of which are solitary bees, they work on their own. Many burrow underground but many also like to create nests in hollow branches, and here is where humans can help.

  Rich had brought along some bee hotels that he'd made, along with plenty of instructions on how to make them and why we should make them. The bee tubes can be purchased from Amazon or bee supply stores, leaf cutter bees preferring 1/4" diameter and mason bees wanting 5/16". He passed around two tubes showing how the mason bees seals her tube with mud while the leaf cutter bee used foliage. I did notice that these tubes were the same diameter but got so engrossed that I forgot to ask why this was.

Rich had even created a bee hotel inside a PVC pipe, which took him less than 10 minutes to make and erect. He also told us it's best not to mix the different diameters together in the same space, but different compartments or rooms are OK. Apparently the bees can get territorial.

I was fascinated with the mason bee nesting process. The female bee can control the gender of her offspring and will place the female eggs at the back of the nest with the males placed at the front, so in the spring they are first out and ready to mate when the females emerge. Then the male's work is done but the female will then begin making her own nest. They only live for about a year, the adult stage only lasting three to six weeks, during which the female will pollinate busily within 100-300ft of her nest. The eggs are laid in the spring, become larvae in the summer, turn into a pupa before summer ends, and then spend the fall and winter in their cocoons until they emerge the following year when the temperatures reach about 55F.

Replacing the used tubes after a season is a good idea to prevent the transmitting of any disease. Place the hotel where the sun warms it in the morning and protect from the weather. Make sure there's plenty of loose earth and water close by, for drinking and nest building. Rich uses two coats of exterior wood sealant. Rich said the mason bees will begin to appear mid March so I have the winter to build my accommodation.

This was a great workshop, I left feeling I'd learned a lot, plus it was wonderful to see the Master Gardener ladies again, the first time since I'd moved to Front Royal, so I was proud to let them know I was trying to follow their example. Maybe one day, my front garden will look like their little oasis here in Marshall, and buzz all day long with an active insect population. Although I have to admit the few small areas I've already planted are pretty busy.

Here are some superb sites I found for bee hotels:

https://www.almanac.com/content/bee-houses-solitary-bees

https://pollinators.msu.edu/publications/building-and-managing-bee-hotels-for-wild-bees/

https://colinpurrington.com/2019/05/guide-to-diy-mason-bee-houses/

Remember, some of these bee hotels look pretty complex, but as Rich explained, they don't need to be. It's easy to get excited about creating a beautiful house but all that's needed are these bee tubes, placed in a protective container such as untreated wood or a PVC pipe that is sheltered and preferably with some hardware cloth set away over the front so birds can't steal the eggs.

An excellent article on native bees versus hive bees.

https://content.yardmap.org/learn/honey-bees-compete-native-bees/

I later spent a few more hours researching bee hotels, and to be properly successful, there is a lot more work involved. Leaving a hotel overwinter without cleaning it means there's a good chance of mites or other diseases being left to infect the next larvae. Those who take this responsibility seriously actually use paper tubes that can be removed in the fall, the cocoons washed and dried to remove any infection, stored in a cold, dry dark area and then the cocoons are either returned to the hotel, or put in a paper box with a small hole, when the temperatures are warm enough.

I'm taking the high road here and The Blue House Bees will have a caretaker as of next spring!